Apple Watch Friday: Early Arrivals For The Lucky, Soul-Crushing Delays For Others

The first orders of the Apple Watch arrived on April 24. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The first orders of the Apple Watch arrive on April 24. Photo: Reuters

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The Apple Watch has arrived -- for some, sooner than they expected. The surprise early delivery prompted Apple fanatics to show off their new gadgets on social media.

After Apple Watch sold out in just minutes when online preorders opened, Apple initially said most deliveries would be delayed. Only a group of orders would be delivered on the expected due date, April 24, while others would be pushed to a May or June delivery. But in a surprise move, Apple notified some purchasers earlier this week of an early arrival, and customers were quick to express their happiness in posts:

That was not the case for all customers. In fact, International Business Times' Apple reporter Luke Villapaz was supposed to receive his watch Friday, until his delivery date was changed by UPS to Monday.

Australians were among the first to unbox their new Apple Watches, Mashable reports. Melanie Firbank, one of the first to receive the new wearable, gave Mashable an Instagram-fueled tour of her unboxing. And this morning, Apple Watch customers in Europe and Asia picked up their orders.

Before shipping the product, Apple unveiled the Watch in stores on April 10 and allowed customers to book try-on appointments. But for those who did not preview the watch in an Apple Store, this was their first hands-on experience with the product. One customer was shocked by the device's quality.